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PSI publishes twelve categories as raw question counts summing to 115. Procurement and Contracting Requirements is 31 and General Requirements is 25, so business and safety carry nearly half the paper.
PSI publishes this as question counts rather than percentages, which is unusually useful. You know exactly how many marks each category carries.
The twelve categories
| Category | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement and Contracting Requirements | 31 | 27% |
| General Requirements | 25 | 22% |
| Site Construction | 15 | 13% |
| Concrete | 6 | 5% |
| Metals | 6 | 5% |
| Mechanical and Plumbing Systems | 6 | 5% |
| Wood | 5 | 4% |
| Thermal and Moisture Protection | 5 | 4% |
| Finishes | 5 | 4% |
| Masonry | 4 | 3% |
| Doors, Windows and Glazing | 4 | 3% |
| Electrical Systems | 3 | 3% |
The counts are PSI's own and sum to exactly 115. The percentage column is ours, worked from those counts.
The surprise
The top two categories are 56 questions between them, nearly half the scored paper. Neither is trade craft.
Procurement and Contracting Requirements is bidding, contracts, bonds, liens, business structure, employment law and estimating. General Requirements is largely OSHA construction safety.
A working commercial contractor is usually strong on concrete, framing and finishes. Those three categories are 16 questions between them. The business and safety material they find least interesting is 56.
What to do with this
Allocate tabbing time and study time by count. The business and law reference and the OSHA standards deserve more preparation than every trade text put together. Follow the counts.
Electrical Systems is 3 questions. Getting all three right is worth exactly as much as getting three contract questions right, and considerably harder to guarantee.
The arithmetic of passing
You need 81 of 115, so 34 wrong answers are available. Losing the whole of Electrical, Doors and Masonry - 11 questions - still leaves room.
Losing a third of Procurement and Contracting does not.
Common questions
What is on the NASCLA exam?
Twelve categories, from Procurement and Contracting Requirements at 31 questions down to Electrical Systems at 3, summing to 115 scored questions.
What is the biggest category?
Procurement and Contracting Requirements at 31 questions, followed by General Requirements at 25.
Are the counts published?
Yes. PSI publishes raw question counts rather than percentages, so the weights are exact rather than derived.
Where should I concentrate?
The business and law material and the OSHA standards, which carry 56 of the 115 scored questions between them.
How many can I get wrong?
34, since 81 of 115 is the pass mark.